Cocktail blasts at two Jashore court premises: 17 banned Awami League leaders and activists arrested in two days

Police have arrested 17 leaders and activists of the banned Awami League in the past two days over cocktail explosions at two court premises in Jashore.

They were arrested in raids across different areas of the district on Friday and Saturday. Those arrested include leaders and activists at district, upazila and union levels.

Sub-inspector Raisul Islam of Kotwali police station filed the case under the Explosives Act on the night of November 12, naming 21 people and accusing unidentified persons as well.

The case statement says that at about 8:35pm on Thursday, a cocktail-like hand bomb was thrown from Paris Road behind the court building. It landed inside the premises on the right side of the back entrance of the Chief Judicial Magistrate court building and exploded with a loud bang. Police recovered two pieces of black Scotch tape, two parts of an exploded tin can and other evidence from there.

Then, at about 8:50pm, Kotwali SI Raisul Islam was on duty in front of Jashore railway station with police members when he received news that cocktail explosions had been carried out in front of the Assistant Judge court gate on the south-east side of the District and Sessions Judge court and behind the Chief Judicial Magistrate court building.

At about 9pm, police went in front of the Assistant Judge court gate and recovered parts of an exploded tin can and two pieces of black Scotch tape.

Police said nine people were arrested in raids in different areas of Jashore Sadar on Friday after the case. They are Moniruzzaman Lablu of Sujalpur village in Sadar, Lavlu, son of Abdul Majid of Bhagabatipur in Narendrapur union, Kazi Bakerul Islam Iran, son of Kazi Abdul Mannan of Chanchra Raypara, Arman Hossain Rizvi, son of Lutfor Rahman of Dharmatala, Dalim Hossain, son of the late Fazlul Haq of the area behind El Market in Bakchar, Abdul Alim Gazi, Shariful Islam and Sanowar Hossain. The identity of one person was not known.

Another eight people were arrested on Saturday in raids in Jhikargacha and Sadar upazilas. They are Hridoy Islam, son of the late Hafizur Islam of Shashthitala in the town, former district Awami League member Kazi Alamgir Hossain, Jhikargacha upazila Awami League general secretary Musa Mahmud, Awami League member Shahiduzzaman Selim, Khairuzzaman Bappi of Chanchra Raypara, former Chanchra union Jubo League general secretary Badsha Faisal, Azizul Islam of Kholadanga and Sohel Rana of Talbaria village.

Jashore Kotwali police station officer-in-charge Kabir Hossain said 17 people have been arrested in two days over the cocktail explosions at the two courts. They were shown arrested in the explosives case and sent to jail through the court.

The OC said they are all active members of the banned Awami League and claimed they were carrying out subversive activities to destroy peace and order and destabilise Jashore. Raids are continuing to arrest others involved in the incident.

On Thursday night, apart from the two court premises, a cocktail explosion also took place in front of the July Memorial at Bakultala in the town.